The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-10-27
A WRECK On THE AIR LINE.
Trains Collide Near Greer's With DIsas-
trous Result.

GREENvILLE, October 20.-A fright.
full collision occurred this morning OIL
tbe Air Line Road near Greer's Station,
ten miles north of this city. Passenger
train No. 81, coming from Atlanta with
nine cars of excursionists returning from
the Exposition collided with special
freight train bound south, two miles from
Greer's Station. Engineer Robert F.
Wall, of the passenger train, and Mrs.
Hampton Mcdowell, of, Asheville, were
killed, and eleven others were injured.
The accident was one of the most fright
ful ever recorded in this section, and the
most remarkable feature has been the
small loss of life.
When the passenger train reached here
this morning orders were handed to Con-
ductor Marshall and Engineer Wall to
run four hours and twenty minutes late.
This gave the train the right of way on
that schedule, and after signing up orders
and taking copies, the train pulled out
for its northWard run, making about
thirty miles an hour. Orders for No. 81
had been given to all trains on the line,
and when the special freight train
reached Greer's, Engineer Harris and
Conductor Ravell were in possession of
them. Had they side.tracked at Greer's
all would have been well, but they did
not do so. It WAS only four miles to
Taylor's Station, and they calculated
that with the delayed schedule they
could make that point before the pas.
senger train. The calculation was a
fraction wrong, and ten minutes after the
freight train had left the station the col
lision occurred.
The freight was running on a steep
down grade and the passenger had just
rounded long curve when, like meet
ing of mighty monsters in combat, the
two giant locomotives crashed together.
They careened with the shock and fell
back, the passenger engine turning com.
pletely around and the engine of the
freight careening to one side. Back of the
passenger engine was the postal car, and
next to it the express car. Here came
the full force of the collision. The
express car climbed through and half
way over the mail car, making the two
almost as one and scarcely distinguisha-
Bile. The baggage car, which came next,
was wrecked, but not telescoped. With
this the shock spent itself, and back in
the Pullman sleeper, at the rear of the
train, it was scarcely felt.
Three of the forward cars of the freight
were wrecked, and, catching fire, were
burned.
This was the scene that met the eyes
of the passengers who crowded from the
train. A mass of mangled engines and
of crushed and wrecked cars was there,
and it was known that human beings
were among the debris. Prompt efforts
were begun for the rescue. In the for.
ward postal car were Route Agents Kill.
ian, Dykeman and Wilson, two young
men riding on permits and Sheriff Glenn,
of York County. When the crash came
the express car crashed half through the
postal car. Agent Killian, who was
stricken down, found himself imprisoned
among the broken timber at the top of
the car. Agents Dykeman and Wilson
were thrown and imprisoned by the
wreck. AS if by miracle none was
seriously injured, and the other three
occupants of the car escaped altogether.
In the express car with Messenger Err.
win were his cousin, Mrs. Hampton Nc.
Dowell, his brother, Willie, and his
sisters, Mary and Mamie, and their
cousin, Miss Quinn, of Washington.
They had chosen to ride with him be-.
cause of the crowd in the train. When
the first shock passed the young ladies
were in the middle of the postal car,
bruised, but alive. Miss Quinn was
imprisoned at the top of the car, where
she had been lying.
Just then the cry of fire arose, and it
was discovered that the express car was
on fire from the stove. Although them.
selves wounded, Agents Killian. and
Dykeman made brave and herculean
efforts to rescue the young ladies, and
succeeded. The fire blazed up several
times, but was each time extinguished.
The body of Mrs. Mcdowell was man
gled beyond description. The clothing
was torn off and the lower limbs lay
bleeding on the track below, while the
upper portion Of the body was tangled in
the upper debris of the car. 1t was a
spectacle of surprising horror.
Express Messenger Erwin was found
with his left leg broken and his right
foot crushed to a jelly. His brother,
Willie, was bruised, but not seriously
injured.
Among the wreck of the passenger en-
CINE was found the dead body of Engin-
eer Wall. He cried once to the conduc.
| tor after the shock and then died. Ed.
Parnell, his fireman, was badly scalded
about the neck and shoulders, but he
will recover.
Turning to the freight engine the body
Of j. l.. Webster, fireman, was found.
His right arm was crushed, and required
| immediate amputation. He was other.
wise painfully injured, and will probably
die.
Phillip Black, negro brakeman Of the
freight train, was on the top of a car
when he saw the train coming. he fell
on the car and received the shock, and is
now suffering. from concussion of the
brain, from which he will probably die.
This completed the list of casualties.
Steps were at once taken to care for
the wounded. The body of Mrs.
Mcdowell was sent to her relatives and
an inquest is to be held tonight on the
body of Engineer Wall. Seven of the
wounded we're brought on here, where
they are being cared for. Messenger
Erwin's foot will require amputation.
Physicians from the city and numerous
volunteers have been busy all day LOOK
ing to the wounded.
There appears no doubt that the acci-
dent was due to the carelessness of the
engineer and conductor of the freight
train. They both disappeared immedi-
ately afterwards, and have not been seen
since. The wreck has caused great
excitement here, and public opinion is
rapidly crystalizing in demand for the
punishment of the guilty parties.
The following is a complete list of the
casualties
Mrs. Hampton Mcdowell, of Ashe.
vile, killed.
Robert F. Wall, of Charlotte, killed.
J.B. Irwin, of Asheville, leg broken
and foot crushed.
J. L. Webster, fatally mangled.
Philip Black, colored, fatally shocked.
Ed. Parnell, scalded.
James Kilian, of Greenville, spine in
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